Newlyweds in Belgium

Vincent and Caroline are a couple that decided three years ago to live together. First they rented an apparment, then decided to buy a house.

Nowadays Caroline is waiting their first baby, they don't want to say the name yet, it's going to be a surprise. She follows the cares that must have a woman with 6 months of pregnancy, although between bricks, land and tools of construction.

They are in the late 20's, their jobs are ok for middle-class. They dedicate their free time to the construction and remodeling of their home. Vincent explains me from the cellar the all they been throught to put the pipe of the climate, the electricity, the water.

In the ground floor they've adapted a small space as a kitchen, because there's still walls to throw. In the attic he tells me how they had to do, with the help of their parents, to fix the chimney, to throw the oldest part and to remake it new.

7km away of Namur there's Vedrin, the suburb where they bought the house. The house they bought is kind of old, and because of that they had a good deal on it. With the cost of the workers in Europe, and even the materials for the remodeling, the newlyweds don't have much choice than do it by themselves, and to dedicate the first 3 or 5 years of their life as a couple to one common project: to create a home, from the physical meaning of the term.

Something about Belgians today

At the end of 2001 Euro (€) became Europe's common currency. It'e been 5 years already from that day.

My last visit to Belgium was right before the Euro existed, my memory had all prices in Belgian francs. So I can see how the price of a beers and many other things have raised, this thinking has been shared by many Belgians.

And in my attempt to have new referrals of prices here I asked for the price of the houses in the suburbs of Namur, perhaps the most bourgeois city in Wallonia. The answer was "800.000" what my mind it became more than a million dollars. So the I was scared, because as expensive this area could be, this is far away from Beverly Hills or Bell Air residences. Then I asked once again, and they told me the same thing; adding the word "franc"; then I understood that they were talked about the old Belgian francs, the currency that I knew and learned to handle when I lived here.

And during my days in here, when I ask people about price of a Jaguar, a house, a 100m² apparment in Downtown's Namur, or anything like that they always have responded in Belgian Francs. Perhaps people around here already knows whatever is in Euros the things of the supermaket, for the household chores and stuff; but when it is about bigger investments, 5 years have not been enought to make those conversions.

Chinese story in Mexico

Some months ago the so called "chinogate" (1) started, it got my attention, firstly because of the big political impact in our society if true. So I've followed the case throught the media.

Then it was how the issue was treated within the media, the street, blogs, etc. And just today while talking to a friend, I told him how xenophobic this case has been treated to me. And so I began thinking about the meaning of "Chinese" in Mexico, in our culture, in our language.

Some days ago, President Calderon said about this whole issue was like a "chinese-story": Mexican way to say that a story is not believable, not true. There's also to "earn it at the chinese way" which means earn or recover a debt kind of advantageous with no moral. Also we say "you're talking to me in Chinese", this is like "I just don't get a word of what you're saying", total lack of understanding. If in a store we see a bad/poor quality product we just say "it's chinese".

Then reality; the ecomic grow of China, the fake products, disrespect of copyrights, etc. And so, I realise that maybe is not that this particular case have been treated in a xenophobic way, it's like a cultural issue, the Spanish language and the way popular sayings are deep on us. Or maybe Mexicans never loved at all Chinese people.

As for me, I will continue studying Mandarin as soon as I'll return from my vacations, because Chinese language and culture are so exciting to learn.

(1) Chinese-born Mexican bussinessman accused of drug traffiking. More in NYT

Bookstores... go! Harry is on the way

Saturday 21st of July. 12:01am. The last title of Harry Potter's series will be launch. I know this isn't new for anybody. The commercial phenomenon of Harry Potter, is not new either; nevertheless, for me is still interesting the social phenomenon that is created aournd this book. Definitively something never seen and continues surprising all.

Nowadays, as part of the publishing world, I've been much more focused in the happennings in bookstores. For example, at Gandhi (mexican bookstore) is preparing a day filled with activities around Harry Potter, that will culminate with the sale of the book, at 00:01. Well, no new buyers accepted tonight, because since one month ago people have asked for a copy. Tonight's selling is calculate, for about 2500 units in the store lacated inMiguel Angel of Quevedo.

Scholastic, publishing house of Harry Potter, has imposed severe security measures, also restrictions about the quantity distributed on every point of sale. It's going to be very interesting to see how many units are being sold, mainly because it will be the English edition in that will be on sale, and Mexico is a Spanish speaking country.

As for me, I have big reasons for joy as I know, that at least some hours, the bookstores will be visited by so many new readers. Perhaps, and for sure, this does'nt apply at all for the independent booksellers, who usually have problems with the reception of new features from the monster publishing houses, and Harry Potter, I think, wont be the exception.

Gay Pride Photos

More pics from the Gay Parade in Mexico City on Flickr....

Mexican pride

I woke up the last two mornings hearing the big news: some australian guys participating in Big Brother played a game, where two guys defended some flag, very similar to Mexico's one (colors were wrong).

The wrath of the news guy, the indignation of people in the office, brief so many feelings around those Australians throwing globes filled with water to a red-white-green flag with the Mexican national shield to the center. A Mexican sombrero in the blond heads of the participants.

I remembered the trip I did one year ago to Piedras Negras, border town in northern Mexico; then I crossed "to the other side", Eagle Pass, TX. I went to the small town's mall for some shopping (ha ha ha…. Yes, you can shop at Eagle Pass!!!!) I was so surprised when I saw a childrens slide painted with Mexico's flag true colors and even more surprising it was when I saw our national eagle just on the slide, where hundreds of children's asses slipped all day long, giving the poor eagle something more than an obscene caress.

Let say something, in Eagle Pass spanish is not a stranger, it is just like Mexico with all its Mexicans. And be sure that the asses of Mexican children slipped there too. Back then and there, in "the other side", there was neither the wrath, nor indignation. Anybody said a word about it, none of the Mexicans there said a word. Only the desire to continue shopping.

May 1st

In the past two weeks I've received at least 10 mails about the support boycott to the Hispanic community in the U.S.A. Muchsupport has received this proposal in the media, and surely I will too.

Seems to me a bit complicated when I see a single day of my life and the consumption within. More complicated seems to me for those who work over there, in the States. One thing is Salma Hayek openly saying that she wont work, and another one are those million workers who depend on the 60 or 100 dollars earned every day. For them it's gonna be a difficult decision. The employers will be surely preparing themselves for the movement. The dismissals have already happened and some workers may be kind of frightened by that.

I believe that this kind of movements must say loud that there is a price to pay, that some may be unemployed after, in name of the promise that the amnesty means. But does it means something for the worker who has been a year there? Surely no. The last memory of amnesty is Clinton's, which involved verification of residence of at least 5 years. A really insignificant filter. The reality is another one there.

And the cultural links are strong. I remember that story about the Mexican crabs in a boat without cover, when one tried to leave, the one behind hauls him. One of the worse Mexican defects and even I'd say of the Latinos. If this movement works in big scale, it will be a succes already, not because of the nonapproval of a law or the amnesty, it will be a succes because between those many things that an illegal one has to deal with, they will learn to overcome the cultural bow that ties him, and that will be a true succes by itself and will have been worth the trouble.

The Z in Piedras Negras

I spent some days in Piedras Negras, Mexico, border town with Eagle Pass, Texas. And something have called my attention, the amount of Z in orange color in some cars and trucks. I've been told that this is done for people that support the narco group the Zetas.

This group has been achieving importance and power in northern Mexico, and for example in Piedras Negras, since 2003 it took control, when the last local narco, Mr. Rubio was assassinated.

For many locals, that usually tolerates the narcos, the arrival of the Zetas has not been nothing beneficial, on the contrary, it has harmed enormously the local economy. It apparently seems, the old narcos, those from town, spent big amounts of money in the city, thus causing economical activity in many sectors, let's think about a celebration: banquets, cleaning, music, service, security, etc.

The Zetas, who not come from this border city, does not spend any important amount of money, for sure, they take it to their own communities.

Nevertheless, many people prefer to put themselves of their side, because it tells a local urban legend, if you dont' do so, you could suffer from firegun shootings, robbery of cars or kidnapping of girls. So better to put a Z.

Politics in Mexico

Next year we'll have elections for the Presidency. And since last year, at least, all medias are just talking about that. Its been crazy. As now political parties don't only have their candidates... now they have pre-candidates! Bizare isn't?

Well, the PRI (which governed Mx for more than 70 years) have two candidates, one the chairman of the board, and other one, a low profile guy, which until now can see his name on a newspaper. His life has turn 180° in less than a month, now he can say he's out of low-profilers.Journalists here says he doesn't have even one shot to get the candidate title. And so I think.

But well, the only good thing, is that before this guy appeared, the PRI had a small change to get back to the Presidency, but now, after a few scandals, I think people realise that this party has nothing to offer to us, the people of Mexico.

The cost of democracy

This term in kind of new for Mexicans, we know that democracy just arrived to us, I'd say on 1997, when left-party PRD won the elections on Mexico City, and definetily marked the the result on 2000 when Fox arrived to the Republic's Presidency.

But does this democracy cost? Well yes, as in every capitalist country I may think. But there's one thing it really bothers me about one particular process: every political party must choose one contendant for the different election positions, but before this, the have many interested persons from their parties, so now they promote their pre-candidates as if there where to run for the real elections! And they got money from gouverment, from our taxes... and let me say this cost a lot for our society.

And even before they got their candidate, we, as society, must know all pre-candidates... what's the sense of that? just waste more money?

Something's wrong with our system, because in a country like Mexico, we just can't afford this concept of democracy.